Rail-joint.



1 F. J. SHELLY.

RAIL JOINT.

-APPLIOATION FILED MAY 9, 1908.

Patented Oct. 20,1908.

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FREDERICK J. SHELLY, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

RAIL-JOINT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 20, 1908.

Application filed. May 9, 1908. Serial N 0. 431,796.

To all whomit may concern:

Be it known that I, FREDERICK J. SHELLY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have invented new and useful Improvements in Rail-Joints, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to rail joints or splice means for railroad rails, and the primary object of the invention is to provide a rail joint having structural features which will overcome the defects of the ordinary joints as to the noise and jar incident to car wheels moving thereover and the loosening of the joint itself, thereby obviating the damage to the rails and injury to the rolling stock, as well as inconvenience and jar to the traveling public.

A further object of the invention is to embody in a railroad joint a construction which will so unite the rails as to make them practically continuous and to prevent depression of the joints occurring between the ties byproviding the joints with projecting web portions upon one side of the web, and the opposite slde of the web with a depression or pocket adapted to receive the projecting portion of the contiguous rail ends, as well as providing the device with a novel form of chair adapted to underlie the base flanges of the rail ends, the chair being locked in position by a novel form of fish plates, thus providing a substantially continuous rail.

lVith these and. other objects in view the invention resides in the novel construction and arrangement of parts, which will be hereinafter fully described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective View of the contiguous ends of a pair of rails connected by the improvement. Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view of the same. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of one of the rail ends. Fig. 4: is a longitudinal sectional view through the base plate of the rail chair adjacent the edge of the base flanges of the rails, the fish plate being removed and the retaining elements being shown in section.

In the accompanying drawings the numerals 1 and 2 designate a pair of rails. These rails 1 and 2 have their bodies constructed in the ordinary manner, comprising the heads 8, webs 4 and base flanges 5. The contiguous ends of each of the rails 1 and 2 are provided with a longitudinally extendtop and bottom and ing tongue 6, arranged upon one side of the web 4. The web 4 of the rail opposite the tongue 6 is provided with a pocket or cut away portion 7, adapted to receive the tongue of the opposite rail. The tongue 6 and pocket 7 are both provided with spaced openings adapted for the reception of retaining elements, by which the rail ends are connected.

The rail joint-also contemplates the employment of a rail chair 8. This rail chair is provided with a base flange 9 which is horizontally straight, and above one portion thereof is an inclined covering flange 10 integrally rising from the base flange 9, the space between the flanges 9 and 10 being adapted for the reception of the base flange upon one side of the rail. Rising from the flange is the vertical fish plate 11. This fish plate 11 is provided with upper and lower inwardly projecting ribs 12 adapted to engage the side of the web 4 above and below the enlarged portion of the web formed by the tongue 6, as well as to form a pocket for the tongue itself. The horizontal flange 9 of the chair 8 is provided upon its opposite side with a vertical longitudinal extending lip. or enlargement 13. This enlargement 13 is provided with a substantially V-shaped channel 14 extending the entire length of the enlargement and positioned upon the upper face thereof. The lower wall of the channel 14 is positioned I above the plane of the edge of the base flange 5 of the rails 1 and 2. An L-shaped fish plate 15 is provided. The vertical wall of this fish plate 15 is provided with longitudinally extending ribs 16, positioned at its projecting inwardly. These ribs'16 are adapted to provide a space within the inner vertical wall of the fish plate for the reception of the tongue 6 and the enlargement provided upon the web of the rail by the extension of the tongue, which extension is adapted to provide reinforcing means for the web adjacent the pocket 7. The horizontal portion of the fish plate 15 has its outer longitudinal wall provided with a V-shaped rib 17, adapted to engage the V-shaped recess 14 of the projection 13, and toserve as a fulcrum whereby the plate may be swung into engagement with the webs of the rail and to force the fish plate 11 tightly against the opposite web of the rail as well as the horizontal flange 9 against the base flanges of the rails. It is to be understood that the fish plates 11 and 15 are each provided with suitable openings alining with the openings arovided within the tongues 6 and pockets 'i of the rail ends, and these openings are adapted for the reception of the retaining elements by which the joint is efi'ectively secured.

In order to more effectively support the rail ends the base flanges 5 of the rails are horizontally cut away to provide shoulders 18 transverse of the rails. These shoulders are adapted to be contacted by the transverse ends of the horizontal flange 9 of the chair 8.

The improved rail oint will be found exceptionally advantageous in its construction and arrangement, is capable of being quickly applied, and is of a strong and durable nature.

Changes in the proportions and minor details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the in- 'vention.

Having thus fully described the invention what is claimed as new is:

1. The combination of a pair of rails, each of said rails having its end provided with a projecting tongue upon one of the sides of its web, the opposite side of the web being provided with a pocket, a chair for the rail ends, said chair comprising a horizontally straight base portion provided with an overlying and a vertical portion engaging one of the sides of the rail, a vertical longitudinally extending projection upon the opposite end of the base and engaging the end of the base flanges of the rail ends, said extending portion being provided with ,a V-shaped depression extending its longitudinal length, and an L- shaped fish plate being provided with a V- shaped lug adapted to engage the V-shaped depression of the extended portion of the chair. 7

2. The combination with the meeting ends of a pair of rails, each of said r'ail ends being provided with a projecting tongue extending from one side of the web, the opposite side of the web being provided with 'a pocket, the tongue of one rail end adapted to engage the pocket of the opposite end, a chair member for the rails, said chair member comprising a vertical fish plate having longitudinal ribs adapted to extend over and underlie the tongues, an inclined portion engaging the upper portion of the base flange of the rails, a horizontal portion engaging the under face of the base flanges of the rails, said horizontal portion being provided with an upturned longitudinally extending portion engaging the outer edge of the base flanges of the rails, said upturned portion having its face provided with a V-shaped channel, an L- shaped fish plate having its horizontal member provided with a V-shaped rib adapted to engage the V-shaped channel, and means for securing the elements in locked position.

3. The combination with the meeting ends of a pair of rails, each of said rail ends being provided with a projected tongue projected from one side of the web and the opposite side of the web being provided with a pocket, the tongue of one rail endadapted to engage the pocketof the contiguous end,'the base flanges of the rails being provided with horizontal cut away portions, a chair member for the rails, said member'comprising a vertical fish plate having longitudinal ribs adapted to extend over and underlie the tongues provided upon the webs of the rails, an inclined portion engaging the upper portion of the base flanges of the rails, ahorizontalportion engaging the underface of the base flanges, said horizontal portion being provided with an upturned longitudinally extending portion'engaging the outer edge of the base flanges'of the rails, said upturned portion having its face provided with a V- shaped tongue, an 'L-shaped fish plate having its vertical portion provided with ribs adapted to extend over 'and underlie the tongue provided upon the web of the rail, the horizontal member of the fishplate having its edge provided with a 'V-shaped rib adapted to engage the ing elements Whereby'the plates and rails are secured together.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

FREDERICK J. SHELLY. fitnesses:

GEO. E. FnrRow,

JOHN C. BRENNAN.

V-shaped channel, and secur- 

